Mathieu van der Poel expressed satisfaction with his third-place finish at the Tour of Flanders, despite feeling limited throughout the 269km race. The Dutchman survived a mid-race crash and matched winner Tadej Pogačar until the final ascent of Oude Kwaremont.
Van der Poel’s podium result marks his sixth top-three finish in seven starts at the event. However, he fell short of victory as Pogačar secured a 19km solo win after launching an attack on the Oude Kwaremont. Van der Poel was caught out of position during one of the climb’s early ascents but still managed to maintain a strong pace.
The Slovenian world champion and Van der Poel have been competing fiercely throughout the season, with both riders vying for the Tour de France title. Pogačar now holds a two-win advantage in head-to-head matches against his Dutch rival.
With the Tour of Flanders victory secured, Pogačar moves on to Paris-Roubaix, where he will compete in his debut at the Queen of the Classics. Van der Poel aims for his third cobblestone trophy but acknowledges that Roubaix may be a tougher test than Flanders, requiring more luck and strategic planning.
Van der Poel’s post-race comments highlighted his focus on team performance rather than individual achievement. He attributed the damage from the crash to being “lucky” despite it not being ideal. The Dutch rider is now looking forward to the next challenge in Paris-Roubaix, where he will face stiff competition from Pogačar and other top riders.
Source: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/i-was-already-on-the-limit-from-quite-far-mathieu-van-der-poel-content-with-tour-of-flanders-podium-finish